The Embrace

The Embrace is a bronze sculpture by Hank Willis Thomas, installed on Boston Common in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, in December 2022. The artwork commemorates Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, and depicts four intertwined arms, representing the hug they shared after he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. The work was created by welding together about 609 smaller pieces. The sculpture has received largely negative responses from critics and the public. Description The Embrace is a and bronze sculpture weighing 19 tons. It depicts four intertwined arms and hands, representing an embrace between Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. Details include buttons on the sleeves of his arms, and a bracelet on her wrist. The sculpture design is intended to emphasize the Kings' commitment to nonviolence and the importance of love as a motivating factor in their civil rights movement work. The sculpture is situated within a circular plaza, the 1965 Freedom Plaza, which recognizes 69 individuals who were civil rights leaders in Boston from the 1950s through the 1970s. The plaza is located within the Boston Common, a public park in downtown Boston, and is situated in between the Boston Common Visitor's Center and the Boston Massacre Monument.